LAS VEGAS — The 2025 edition of The National Grocers Association (NGA) Show took place Feb. 23-25 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Trade Show Executive (TSE) connected with Jamie Reesby, CEM, Vice President, Generation & Grocery at Clarion Events Inc. – North America, to learn about its growth, new features and more.
ANDREW: Did The NGA Show grow in net square footage, exhibitor-count or attendance this year? If so, what do you think fueled it?
JAMIE: We are excited to announce that The NGA Show 2025 was one of our highest attended to date, with retailer registration growing 12% over the year prior. The ongoing partnership between Clarion and the NGA was key to driving the correct focuses for this year’s event.
With the assistance of our Planning Committee of retailers, wholesalers and suppliers, we ensured the content was on target and introduced new value-add programs for retailers, including the Retailer Advantage Program which focused on team pricing for registration. We also cannot thank our co-location partners from the Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA) enough, who are amazing to work with and have a full schedule of programming and events to celebrate IGA members.
The energy of this year’s event was unmatched and it had a tremendous amount to do with the exhibitors that supported The NGA Show. We focused on the show floor to ensure there was the best mix of products and services.
We were thrilled to welcome new exhibitors and features this year such as Group Export (Canada), The NGA Show Innovation Center Powered by CTW, Flip Operations, SafetyCulture and Coca-Cola, as well as returning companies including Lipari Foods, Italy-America Chamber of Commerce, FMS Solutions, BRdata Software Solutions, ECRS, Gourmet Foods International, Instacart and many other NGA members and show supporters.
ANDREW: What did Admiral William McRaven cover in his keynote?
JAMIE: We were honored to have Admiral William McRaven join us as this year’s keynote speaker. As a retired U.S. Navy Four-Star Admiral, former Chancellor of the University of Texas System and New York Times bestselling author, Admiral McRaven had extremely valuable and practical insights for attendees.
He shared a powerful look into his career and lessons on resilience, decision-making and leadership under pressure. By following several key principles, from starting the day with a simple task to treating everyone with compassion, independent grocers gained key takeaways that can be used to navigate challenges and drive success in their businesses.
ANDREW: Grocery prices are a major issue on many Americans’ minds. Did The NGA Show engage with this topic this year? If so, how, and how was this engagement received?
JAMIE: There were several discussions on this topic and how regulatory and policy changes are affecting both independent grocers and their customers. Education sessions covered shifts in labor policy, regulatory updates and how to make data-driven strategies to help combat inflation’s impact and maintain market share.
The American Egg Board did a briefing on egg supply and price fluctuations, and the NGA Office of Government Relations held sessions on key topics for this year such as tax reform, antitrust and SNAP changes, and how their team is constantly working for the independent grocer.
The main takeaway was preparing retailers to have consistent and clear communication with their customers. Grocers are intimately involved with their communities and eager to support customers as they look to feed and support their families.
The focus was on offering clear and transparent communication about price fluctuations and positioning themselves as destinations for value, service, and unique offerings that help them maximize customers’ food budgets.
ANDREW: How did the event help grocery professionals connect this year?
JAMIE: The NGA Show provides extensive networking, education and business opportunities. With over 350 exhibitors, retailers can meet suppliers, wholesalers and vendors to explore new products and build new relationships.
This year’s educational sessions and workshops offered insights into timely industry trends, best practices, and regulatory updates. Retailers also benefitted from exclusive programs like the Creative Choice Awards and Women Grocers of America (WGA) events, fostering leadership and professional growth. Our networking events, such as the opening and closing celebrations, are excellent opportunities for strengthening connections.
ANDREW: What parts of The NGA Show did attendees give the greatest feedback on this year?
JAMIE: Several of our new features got some of the greatest feedback this year. To open the show, we introduced new Breakfast Roundtables, open to retailers and wholesalers, based on a suggestion that was made by our Planning Committee.
These roundtable discussions provided attendees with peer-to-peer connection in focused, small-group settings. There were 15 tables and each dove into topics specific to the unique challenges and opportunities facing independent grocers — such as loyalty/personalized marketing, AI in retail and E-commerce.
Pre-registration was required and several topics filled up immediately. One attendee commented, “I learned more in that one hour than I might for the rest of the convention! It made my trip.” We are looking forward to introducing more peer-to-peer events in 2026.
Another standout event was our Closing Celebration which we decided to hold at the Caesars Palace Temple Pool. Our operations team worked closely with our partners at Caesars to put together such a fantastic event that celebrated a fantastic NGA Show and showcased our sponsor, Wakefern.
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ANDREW: Were there any education sessions or workshops that you would like to call out?
JAMIE: Certainly! There are a few we would like to highlight.
The Technology Innovation Summit emphasized accessibility and practicality, with a special focus on improving and empowering the customer experience. The Financial Symposium presented by FMS Solutions provided strategies for budgeting, profitability and financial planning to strengthen business stability, and equipped participants with tools to explore M&A opportunities, plan expansions, or seek cost-control solutions.
Our Closing General Session, Insights from Industry Legends: Leadership and Innovation in Grocery, gave attendees access to a rare conversation with legendary leaders of the grocery industry as they shared their perspectives on what it takes to drive lasting success.
Industry trailblazers from T.A. Solberg Co, Inc., Rudy’s Markets, Inc. and Dorothy Lane Market shared how they approach leadership, inspire innovation, and keep the needs of shoppers and associates at the forefront.
The Student Case Study Competition involved nearly 80 students and faculty from 11 universities. Teams were challenged to develop a sustainability strategy for Clark’s Market, an independent grocery retailer with 11 locations across the Rocky Mountain region.
Participants were tasked with presenting solutions for reducing food waste and optimizing product merchandising to emphasize sustainable and eco-friendly choices. Arizona State University was recognized for their hard work, creativity and strategic thinking that truly set them apart in this year’s competition.
The WGA Woman of the Year Award is presented to those who exemplify strong leadership qualities and a passion for the independent grocery industry. This year’s recipient, Amy Niemetscheck, President and CEO of Certco Inc., has a commitment to fostering strong community values, volunteerism and industry involvement that exemplifies the mission of WGA.
ANDREW: What inspired the creation of the Best Bagger Championship and what does it add to the event?
JAMIE: Bagging has been an important step for many supermarket employees who have pursued long and rewarding careers in the grocery industry. The first Best Bagging contest was held in 1987 in Dallas, Texas.
The “Texas – Oklahoma Checkout Shootout” featured two contestants and former NFL Quarterback Terry Bradshaw as the emcee. Since then, NGA has branded and grown the event to feature more than 25 state bagging contestants.
The addition of the NGA Best Bagger Championship highlights the infectious commitment to customer service that the participants have and brings a great amount of excitement and company pride to The NGA Show. Congratulations to Sebastian Moretti of Nugget Markets who claimed victory this year, and the $10,000 prize, and thank you to our sponsors at PepsiCo, and supporting sponsors Instacart and Imperial Dade.
ANDREW: This show is an honoree at the 2025 Fastest 50 Awards & Summit. What do you think has contributed to its success?
JAMIE: Our ongoing commitment to the customer and focus on evolving the event to meet their needs is always the driving force for us as an event. We have already started to make plans for 2026 in our new location, the MGM Grand, to bring more of the features that worked well this year while incorporating the feedback we got from onsite conversations and surveys.
We could not have accomplished such a strong event without the partnership and collaboration between Clarion and the amazing team at the NGA. They work hard every day to support independent grocers and we want The NGA Show to be the best resource for the industry and celebrate the great work they are doing for their local communities.
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Photo Credit: Joe Curry Photography
